Forgotten Tears
by malfoyismine
Summary: In Hermione's seventh year her life, and Hogwarts itself, comes crashing down around her. She begins to rebuild them, with Draco looking over her shoulder. REPOST!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I own none of the people listed in here. I own nothing at all except the plot. And even that was partly my friend's idea. So I still own nothing in this world of ours...  
*~*  
"It's over. Hogwarts is finished," Dumbledore said, his voice shaking. It was only a matter of time before he would die, but he would fight it to the end. His face was slick with blood, and his beard was matted red.   
  
"Don't talk like that sir. It can be rebuilt," Hermione said, ripping part of her robes off and dipping it in a pool of water by her knee. Her own wounds could be taken care of later.   
  
"The school could be rebuilt, but the spirit is dead," he replied, his breath growing steadily lighter. Hermione lay the damp cloth on his head and looked around her. People, teachers and students alike, were lying around her dead. She quickly turned back to her headmaster.   
  
"As are other things," she said, shutting her eyes quickly to hide her tears. The image of Harry lying on the ground, Ron next to him, came quickly back to her. Something had been different about Harry though, and it had taken Hermione a minute to realize that his scar was gone. His forehead was pale, standing out against his raven hair.   
  
"Promise me that you will carry on the dream," Dumbledore said, reaching out and grabbing her hand. His fingers twitched, and his arm collapsed back to his side. Holding her head in her hand, Hermione cried.   
*~*  
  
  
As Hermione's eyes opened, she could hear her own heart in her chest. Wiping the sweat from her damp face, she turned over to glance at the clock. It read that it was 4:10 am. Another twenty minutes of sleep till she had to get up. But she knew that she wouldn't sleep anymore.   
  
She had had another of those dreams about what had happened her seventh year. Still today it brought tears to her eyes to think about it. And almost every night she would have these dreams. She thought of it often. Losing her two best friends was the hardest part, but she still thought about all the others who lost their lives.   
  
Voldemort had come. She didn't mind saying the name now, but she still received looks from people when she did, even with who she was. Headmistress of Lestiline School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The school had been built over the remains of Hogwarts, on her request. She had wanted it, even though it pained her deeply.   
  
Harry and Ron had gone to stop him, stop Voldemort from coming into the building. The had failed, and Dumbledore had given his life with a spell to save them all. It didn't quite work, because Voldemort got a spell off before Dumbledore could.   
  
The spell destroyed the school completely, killing a good half of them. Harry Potter. Ronald Weasley. Neville Longbottom. Lavender Brown. Professor McGonagall. Hannah Abbot. Jennifer Chlan. Susan Bones. Professor Snape. Dean Thomas. Lisa Turpin. Crabbe. Goyle. Blaise Zabini. Katie Engquist. Professor Sprout. Colin Creevey. Ginny Weasley. Rachel Lennon. Patricia Tunrot. The list went on and on, but she made it her personal goal to remember each name.   
  
The last name on her list always brought her to tears. Professor Dumbledore. He was the reason that she was here. His advice to keep the dream alive was what kept her going. The Ministry didn't want another school. She refused to give up. And she finally won.  
  
A sudden knock at the door to her bedchambers drew Hermione's attention back to where she was. The first day of being Headmistress. She thought she was ready, but her mind kept flitting back to that horrible day.   
  
"Miss, it's time," a man's voice called through the door. It was a fairly raspy voice, and Hermione could name the person right away.   
  
"Thank you Tom. I will be down shortly," she said. She heard him cough as a reply, then his feet hitting stone steps. Tom had been hired to replace Filch, the old custodial man from her school years. He had also been killed on that day. So many teachers had needed to be replaced.   
  
As she ran around the room, grabbing her robes off of the chair at her desk, she hummed a soft tune. She didn't realize what it was for some time, but when she did, she stopped dead. It was a tune that Harry had taught her. A sad tune from an opera, or something to that effect. Her heart ached, yet she stayed strong and walked out the door.   
  
To anyone looking at her then, she would have looked calm, collected. But she really was a nervous wreck. And the year began.  
  
The Great Hall, while not as grand as the one from Hogwarts, was still a spectacle. Great silver chandeliers hung from the ceiling, which was a fine marble. She hadn't wanted it this fancy, but the Ministry of Magic did what it wanted with the school. She was only responsible for the students.   
  
As she made her way through the almost empty hall, she smiled at the few teachers at the large table at the front. Some of them were seated, others standing, and even some still were missing completely, yet when they saw her, they all sat down. Well, the ones in the room anyway.   
  
"So begins our first school year together. May it be a good one," she sighed. They all raised their goblets to her in a toast, then went on talking among themselves again. The students would be coming in soon, and she wanted to savor the peace of the moment, so she found her seat in the middle, and sat down.   
  
"Hermione, you don't look well. Perhaps I should give you a sleeping potion," a voice next to her said into her ear. Her head turned slightly to face the person. He was smiling, and his blond hair was pulled back. He had grown it out over the summer. It was fitting for him.   
  
"Draco, I wouldn't accept a sleeping potion from you if my life depended on it. Even though you are the potions teacher," she said, letting out a laugh. It really was the first time she had laughed in awhile.   
  
"I'm hurt. And for the last time, I'm the potion master, not just a teacher," he said his eyes glinting for a second, like Snape's had done when he was a teacher. When he was alive.   
  
"Oh, you act like Snape, but you aren't him. Give it up, potion teacher," she said, turning towards the back of the room, where five large tables stood. One for each house of the school. Pertingunk. Huthorn. Fingledigit. Lew. Weshlont. They were barren now, but soon they would be full of students, waiting to learn.   
  
"Yes, Headmistress," he said, his voice filled with sarcasm. At any other time, she would have felt like slapping him, for old time's sake, but she couldn't do it here. Later. After the ceremony. The students had arrived. Now was her judgement time.  
  
Standing up, she cleared her throat and looked out among the students. They were all looking at her. All eyes on her. It was really nerve wracking.   
  
"Hello students. I am your Headmistress for the year, Professor Granger. Since you all need to be sorted into our five new houses, I would have you stand along the sidewall there. I take it you know what year you are?" she said. After a moment or so, the students slowly stood up and walked over to the wall she had motioned to, still watching her.   
  
While the school was being built, all the students had been sent off to different schools around the world. It had been three years, but they were finally open.   
  
"Now when I call your name, please sit on the chair and wait to be sorted," Professor Leslin said, pulling out a parchment. Her gray hair was pulled back into a bun, just as McGonagall had always done. Fitting that Mary Leslin had become Transfiguration teacher.   
  
Then she pulled out the sorting hat from a box behind the table. The whole hall looked at it, watching it carefully. How it had escaped on that day, without even a scratch, was beyond Hermione. But it had, and here it was, going on with a poem about the houses. The names had been special, builders of the school. Each with his or her own part.   
  
And so it began. 


	2. Chapter Two

"Goldfeather, Sarah, 1st year," Mary said, reading off the list. When she finished, a small girl, with deep brown hair stood up and walked up to the front, placing the hat daintily on her head.   
  
It only took a second for it to call out, "LEW!" After that, she smiled at all the teachers, and went to her table. She reminded Hermione of herself. Draco seemed to think so too.   
  
"Look another of you. Great fun to tease," he said, his voice ringing in her ears. She felt his hand pull on one of her locks of smooth, brown hair. She also felt herself getting the urge to slap him. But not here, it would set a bad example. Later.   
  
"Draco, listen," she said, motioning to the tables. Five students were already out there, each house with one.   
  
Hermione jerked her head up when she heard the name Potter, but it turns out that it was just Pushly. The boy was a gangly boy, who was immediately put into Pertingunk. She sighed, and twirled her fork around on her plate.   
  
"Yewly, Abbot, 4th year," Mary read, and a little boy came up and put the hat on. He seemed like he would be a first year, he was so small. The hat almost covered his whole head.   
  
Then Hermione got an image in her head that she couldn't get out. Draco being eaten by the Sorting Hat. She stifled her giggle, and tried to listen the best she could.   
  
The sorting seemed to take forever, and Hermione even fell asleep at one point, but was awaken with a poke at her side.   
  
"Pay attention Headmistress," Pret Peterling said. He was a tall man, and was a great contrast to the teacher he had taken over for. Charms was a very suitable class for the man. He seemed to enjoy it.   
  
"Weasley, Pernia, 1st year," Mary said. A small girl with bright red hair stood up and walked to the hat. Hermione stared at her. Weasley?   
  
"HUTHORN!" the hat called. Pernia jumped off the stool and walked to her table, her red curls bobbing on her head. Hermione would have to talk with her later. See who her parents were.   
  
The feast was great, being foods from all corners of the world. Hermione had refused to let house elves work at the school unless they received payment, and most of the didn't want to, so she had hired chefs instead. The ministry hadn't been too happy about it, but that was fine with her.  
  
The feast was one of the best meals she had had in awhile. After two helpings of mince pie, a side plate of carrots, and a cherry tart, she was full, and ready to go to sleep. The day hadn't been as bad as she thought it would have been.   
  
"So Hermione, let's make casual talk. What are you wearing under your robes?" Malfoy said in a casual voice. She turned and glared at him, her eyes wide with shock. Did he just ask her...? "Only joking you know."   
  
"Draco, I would advise you not to get that way around me. You may find yourself out of a job," she said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. He grinned and ate another bite of his potatoes.   
  
Sighing, Hermione turned back out to face the tables. All the students were talking to each other in a nervous whisper, glancing around the room. They must have been expecting the whole place to blow up. She just hoped that it didn't.   
  
Just then, she spotted the Weasley girl, sitting in one corner of her table, talking to a boy with light brown hair. He was laughing at something she had said, and she seemed to be lightly giggling herself. Hermione would talk to her later. Why disrupt a good conversation?   
  
She would also have a talk with Malfoy later. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw his silver eyes looking her up and down. Sighing, she picked up her fork and started playing with the prongs.  
  
The feast ended, much to Hermione's joy, and at the first chance she got, she raced out of the room. She knew that it wasn't very proper for the Headmistress to run out of a room, but she wanted to catch the Weasley girl before she left. Right as she reached the outer hall, she caught a glimpse of some bobbing red hair heading up the Huthorn stairs. Sighing, Hermione turned around, just to run into someone.   
  
"You made quite a show in there. Is anything wrong?" Malfoy asked, looking into her eyes. His purple eyes were glittering, and Hermione didn't like it. But they were adults now, she couldn't slap him. In public.   
  
"You, my office, NOW!" she said, and pointed down the hall. Draco jumped at the tone of her voice, and looked around to see whom she was talking to. When he found that it was just he and she, a smile spread across his face.   
  
"Yes, Headmistress," he said, and started walking towards the Head Office. Her office. A smug smile touched her face. For the first time ever, he had listened to her. Maybe all she needed to do was be harsh. But then again, this was Draco, and with him, you never knew what was up.   
  
Checking in the Great Hall one last time, just to check if everything was alright, and that all the students were heading to bed, she decided to head to her office. Knowing Draco, he was probably spread out on her desk, naked. She shuddered at the thought, and instead thought of what tomorrow would be like. More hectic, that was for sure.   
  
Like Hagrid had always said, what would come would come, and they would face it in the end. Or at least he had said that, before he...   
  
Breaking into fresh tears, Hermione started running down the hall to her office. How was she going to get through this?  
  
As she pushed the door to her office open, Hermione wiped the tears from her face. The last thing she wanted was for Draco to see her cry.   
  
"Dear god, what's wrong?" he said, jumping to his feet. He had been sitting in her chair, playing with a set of exploding snap cards. They lay on the desk, threatening to blow up. She wouldn't have cared.   
  
Draco ran up to her, his eyes full of worry. It was the first time Hermione had ever seen with that look. He put his arms around her, making the look of shock on her face grow even more. He embraced her like that for some time, till he finally let go. By that time, Hermione had regained her serene look. Well, not regained, but gotten one.   
  
"Malfoy, if you ever do that to me again, I will have to..." she started. She never got to finish, because Draco moved in and kissed her. Freezing up, Hermione had no idea what to do, so she closed her eyes and stood there.   
  
Not since Ron died had she had another kiss. It made her warm inside, and she forgot who was at the other end. Draco pulled away, and looked into her eyes longingly. She turned at walked over to her chair. Right as she sat down, the cards happened to snap, but she ignored them and looked at Malfoy. He seemed to be making himself at home, taking off his teacher robes.   
  
"You take anything else off and I will never speak to you again. Or hear from you again. You will have your mouth removed, and sent away," she said, a smile growing on her face. The look of horror on his made her start to faintly hum again.   
  
"You wouldn't," he said, taking a step back away from her.   
  
"Don't try me," she said, her smile reaching its full extent. He now had a smile too, and had found a chair to sit on. They looked at each other for a few minutes, until Hermione sighed.  
  
"Now, lets get to work. I want to know what potions you will be teaching these kids," she said, opening the top drawer of her desk and looking in. It was empty, besides the object that she desired. Pulling it out, she heard Draco gasp.   
  
"That is... how did you come about one? I have been looking for a long time, and yet I still don't have one," he said, eyeing her up and down again, stopping abruptly when he saw the look in her eyes.   
  
"I have my ways. Now, tell me the potions," she said, placing the object on top of the card ridden desk. Draco glanced at it for a moment, then shook his head.   
  
"The same things Snape taught us. Shrinking potions, Inflammation, Love, stuff like that," he answered, hoping she caught the accent on the love potion. She did.   
  
"You teach them that and you will be out of a job," she said. The grin on his face faded for a moment, but then came back.   
  
"What way to your bed chambers?" he asked, the glint in his eyes returning.   
  
"Draco..." she sighed. He started to laugh, and she pointed out the door. "Just leave. No love potions."   
  
As he left, he was sure to be slow about it. Hermione just shook her head and brought her attention back to the object on her desk.  
  
It was a completely smooth ball. It was all black, except for seven small bars on the side, each a different color. Red, blue, green, purple, pink, silver, yellow. Holding it in her hands, she pressed the red bar in.   
  
In an instant, she was dressed in her nightgown. Smiling, she pushed the blue one. A faint whistling nearby announced that a pot of tea was ready and hot. Skipping the green and pink ones, she lightly tapped the purple. The tea was now on a tray sitting on the desk, with two cups. Why it had brought two, she didn't know, but she poured the herbal tea in and took a sip. It warmed her right up.   
  
Silver, when pushed, took the tray away, and she sighed and got up from her desk, heading off to bed. The object was still in her hand, and she was careful not to drop it. The yellow bar remained un-touched, for even she didn't know what one did. And now was not the time to find out.   
  
Placing the ball on the nightstand, she climbed into her feather bed. The instant her head hit the pillow, she was asleep. 


	3. Chapter 3

As Draco crept into the room, he smiled. This was easier then he thought it would be. Since she had brought her attention to the ball, she hadn't noticed that he had left the door partly open and unlocked. All the better for him.   
  
When he reached the desk and pulled out the drawer, he felt a sudden drop in his stomach. It wasn't there. The Chore Ball wasn't there. That might make it a little bit more difficult. The only other place that he thought she would have it would be in her room. Looking around him, he noticed there were two doors besides the one he had entered through.   
  
Creeping silently over to the first, he twisted the handle slightly. Poking his head around the corner, he saw that this was a private kitchen. The tiling was blue, and it was fairly modern looking. Shrugging off the idea off getting a sandwich, he closed the door and went to the next one.   
  
This one held better results. There she was, sleeping away on her feather bed, while he only had a small one by his potions room. On the nightstand by the bed sat his prize. It was all most hidden in the dark, but he could see the bands of color faintly. Silently, he made his way to the bed.   
  
Looking down at her, he sighed a soundless sigh. She had become more beautiful then Draco could remember from his school days. Her hair had straightened out, and was about down to the small of her back. Her lips were like tiny rosebuds, and when she opened her mouth, he saw that her teeth were just the right sized.   
  
His hand reached out for the ball, but missed, hitting the table itself. He scrunched his face up in pain, and thought of something else. Hermione. Sitting at the end of the bed, holding his throbbing hand, he stared at her.  
  
As Hermione opened her eyes slightly, she noticed first that her light had been turned on. Then she saw the person sitting at the end of her bed. His purple eyes were looking her up and down, and as they caught hers, he smiled.   
  
"Draco, what are you doing here?" she asked, pulling her blankets up around her. As he moved closer to her, she felt his hand on her arm. It was smooth, and she shivered slightly.   
  
"Your trembling, what's wrong?" he asked suddenly, his voice wavering. She sighed and closed her eyes. All she could hear was her shallow breath, and his soft humming. Then the next second, she felt his lips press against her open mouth, and his tounge rubbing against her teeth. She forced her eyes open, and saw that he was now right in front of her, his arms on her shoulders.   
  
"Nothing now," she said, pulling away from him. He stood up, and stood, looking at her. As he smiled, she saw his hands fly to the buttons on his shirt. His pale face was drawn up in a grin as he threw it to the side and started on his pants. Tugging them off, he revealed a pair of green and gold boxers, with snakes that flit their tongues out. Giggling, Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the bed.   
  
*~*  
  
Picking at her eggs, Hermione glanced at Draco out of the corner of her eye. He was chatting with Professor Renold Leftson, teacher of Herbology. They seemed to be talking about a form of plant that worked well in love potions. Hermione's face turned red, and she took another bite of pancakes.   
  
Nudging her in the side, Draco pointed at they syrup. "Pass the condom…er…. condiment," he said, his face growing redder by the second. Hermione had taken enough from him. Jumping out of her seat, she slapped him squarely on the cheek.   
  
"How dare you!" she screamed, ignoring the staring students around her. He had no right to embarrass her like that! She had every right to fire him for this, but resisted the temptation. She needed him to teach. He was a very good Potions Master, and she was lucky to have him. If her very job hadn't been on the line, he would never had even been thought of to teach.   
  
"I'm sorry Herm," he said, staring at her. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, judging her. This was going to be talked about for quite awhile.   
  
"Sorry? Sorry! How sorry can you be, you worthless man!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, then stormed out of the room into a side hallway. When she got beyond the door, she broke down in tears. Why was all of this happening to her?   
  
"Alex, could you pass the syrup?" Pernia asked, barely glancing up at the commotion at the teacher's table. Headmistress Granger had just stormed out of the room, and Professor Malfoy was sitting there, rubbing his cheek. It had brought the entire hall to silence, but now that it was over, the breakfast discussions had started again.   
  
"Hmm… oh, sure," he said, absently. Alex wasn't exactly the talkative type, but he was nice enough, and he was in her house.   
  
"Do you know what's going on?" she asked, pointing up at the teachers' table. Professor Malfoy had gotten up and left after the Headmistress, leaving the rest of the teachers whispering to themselves. But Pernia just shook her head and got up. She had Herbology first, and she didn't want to be late. "Come on, Greenhouse One."   
  
"Yea," he replied, grabbing his bag. He walked along side her, opening his mouth a few times as if he wanted to speak, but then closed it right away. She smiled and grabbed his hand and started running towards the doors. His eyes widened from shock, but went along with her, picking up his pace.   
  
"So, are you mixed blood or pure?" she asked, looking at him. He smiled and chatted with her, and they walked past the greenhouse before they realized where they were.   
  
A field lay before him; it's tall grasses swaying gently in the wind. Running through it, he felt the tips of the grass brush on his arms, tickling him slightly. Looking up, he saw a large castle looming over him, casting its shadows. Cold suddenly swept over him and he shivered, but still ran towards the immense structure overhead.   
  
A sudden voice echoed in his mind. "Come Child of Time." He shook his head as he reached the door, then pushed it open. Blackness was all he saw, but he took a step foreword, eyes squeezed tightly shut. The sudden thud of the door behind him was the only sound that he heard besides his own shallow breath. Then, a soft humming sound.   
  
Opening his eyes, he saw a woman, outlined in light. She was holding out his hand, and he reached for it, his actions being controlled by some strange force. She was smiling, and looking down at him.   
  
"My Child of Time, you are the future," she sighed, and then a bright light over took him. A sharp noise rang through his mind. As he fell to his knees, he covered his ears to stop the noise, but to no use. Every thing went black.   
  
Sitting straight up in bed, Alex's eyes were wide open. That dream had seemed so real! As he shook his head, he recalled the whole dream. Child of Time... so it was true. The time had come.  
  
As Pernia sat in Transfiguration, blankly copying notes onto a parchment, she thought about Alex. He had been acting oddly all day, and she was worried.   
  
Looking at the seat beside her, she saw him looking up at the ceiling, his parchment empty. If he thinks he can just copy my notes, he has another thing coming...   
  
A sudden rap at the door snapped her attention back. The witch teaching class opened the door, and Headmistress Granger stepped in, scanning the room quickly. When her eyes fell on Pernia, she whispered to the professor, and then walked out again.   
  
"Pernia, the Headmistress wishes to speak with you," she said, turning back to the board, chalk in hand. Pernia looked at Alex and shrugged at him, then walk out the door. Professor Granger was standing there.   
  
"My office, follow me," she said, then turned and started walking. Pernia had to almost jog to keep up with her long strides, but she managed, and they reached her office in a few moments. "Come in."   
  
As they stepped through the door, Pernia glanced around her. It looked like a normal office, and there was a snow-white owl perched on the desk, a letter in its feet. The Headmistress smiled.   
  
"Ahh Hedwig, back so soon? The ministry must be mad at me for some reason, replying to my letter so quickly," she said, patting the owl on the head. It nipped her finger affectionately, and then flew to a peg in the wall and closed its eyes. "Now then, sit down."   
  
When Pernia sat, she noticed for the first time how young the Headmistress was. She had always seemed so much older, but she couldn't be older then 24.   
  
"Now, I would request to know who your parents are. I know your family well, and it is just a friendly knowing," she said, a smile on her face.   
  
"Charley and Lena Weasley," Pernia replied, busying her hands. Her father, who was gone most of the time, had a large family, she knew that. But they didn't know of her. Was Miss Granger going to tell them about her?   
  
Then she thought of the deaths her father had told her about one day when he returned home. His sister Ginny and brother Ron had died at school when he-who-must-not-be-named showed up. Ron had been in his seventh year, almost ready to leave. Her father had also mentioned a Harry Potter, a close friend of Ron's, dying, and of another close friend, Hermione Granger, becoming...   
  
Pernia blinked. Was this the same Hermione Granger? Did this Headmistress know her dead uncle and aunt?   
  
"Ahh... and how is your father?" she asked.   
  
"Fine... just fine. Did you know my uncle and aunt?" Pernia blurted out. It was Hermione's turn to blink in surprise.   
  
"Yes I did. I was good friends with Ginny, and Ron and I..." she started, but then stopped, a tear rolling down her cheek. Pernia bowed her head, wishing that she hadn't stirred up memories like that. "You may go now. Who do you have next? I will send word that you are excused to be late, for I believe that the bell has just rung.   
  
"Professor Malfoy," Pernia said. Headmistress's face darkened at once.   
  
"Tell him that I wish to see him over lunch break," Hermione said, then got up out of her chair and opened the door. Pernia smiled and walked out.   
  
Walking into Potions, Pernia lowered her eyes. Malfoy was looking at her, as was the rest of the class. As she shuffled her feet to her table beside Alex, all eyes followed her.   
  
"And why, Miss Weasley, are you late for my class?" he asked, staring at her.   
  
She didn't know how, but she found the voice to answer." Miss... Miss Granger wanted to see me. She told me to tell you that she wants to see you over lunch break." When she said this, the whole class burst into a roar of laughter, and it took Malfoy a whole five minutes to calm them down.   
  
"Very well. Now, as I was saying before our interruption, the Terfinucus potion is good for what?" He looked around the room, not expecting to see a hand. He did. "Yes Miss Weasley?"   
  
"Terfinucus is useful for growing plants in the dark or the cold. Sort of a fertilizer if you will," she said. He let out a sigh and grabbed a flask off the table in front of him.   
  
"Yes. Ten points to Huthorn. Now, making this is fairly easy, and I want all of you to get into a group of three," he said. Pernia and Alex scooted closer together, and then they looked around for anyone else. A boy, Pernia thought his name was Len, was sitting in the corner, looking in awe of everything going on around him. She motioned for him to come over.   
  
"Hi, wanna join us?" she asked. He nodded his head and pulled a chair up to their table. When he saw that everyone was situated, Malfoy took out a cauldron, and set it on the desk, placing three bins next to it, each with a different substance inside.   
  
"Now, each of you is in charge of a different part of the mixture. One will grab horned toad, one will grab crushed rose petals, and one can pick up some gutted dragonflies. Now, GO!" he shouted as he clapped his hands together, and everyone jumped up, scurrying to get their own items.  
  
That night, as Pernia slept, a rapping came at the door. Opening her eyes groggily, she looked around her, expecting to see her fellow first year girls. The beds were empty. She heaved a loud sigh and climbed out of bed, shuffling her feet while walking to the door. When she opened it, she had to blink a few times because of the blinding light from the common room, then looked out.   
  
Alex was standing there, a worried look on his face. Pernia looked back, checking to make sure that none of the girls were in the room again, and then pulled him in.   
  
"What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" she asked in a low whisper. He looked around, and finding that all the chairs had clothing stacked on top of them, he sat down on Leslie's bed. "Well?"   
  
"I just needed someone to talk to, that's all," he said. She walked over and sat beside him, laying a hand on his. He looked over at her and smiled. "And the first person I thought of was you."   
  
"I'm flattered," she said in a giggle. Alex turned to face her, and looked right into her eyes. For the first time, Pernia noticed that his eyes were a silverish haze.   
  
"What would you do if I were... gone?" he asked suddenly, making Pernia jump slightly. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but then stopped and thought. It's not everyday that you have that asked of you.   
  
"Well, I would be sad of course, but why do you want to know? Are you leaving?" she asked urgently. He shook his head no, and then pushed a curly lock of hair that had fallen into Pernia's face back behind her ear.   
  
"I just... no, never mind. I just have the urgent notion of wanting to leave, but I'll fight it. Anyway, how are you?" he asked. She smiled, and started talking at once about everything. School, her parents, how sad she was about her uncle and aunts death. Alex nodded sympathetically from time to time, and they talked for most of the night, until Pernia simply couldn't keep her eyes open.   
  
"Alex, I'm sorry, but I need to sleep. I'll see you later," she said. He nodded and left, leaving Pernia alone. Sitting all alone on Leslie's bed, and she trudged back to hers. 


	4. Chapter 4

Sleep crept over her quickly, setaling her into a dream. She was in a dark field, with only a candle in her hands for light. Looking around her, all she could see was the dark outline of some trees, and in the distance, a tower. As if by some driving force, she walked toward it, wanting to stay where she was.  
  
A loud noise above her made her stop in her tracks. Tilting her head, she saw a figure, about as large as one of the dragons that her father brought home, soaring toward the tower, beating it's wings hard. It created a wind, which blew her hair around. She continued to the tower, drawn in by it again.   
  
As she reached the door of the tower, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Alex. He was smiling, his silver eyes twinkling. She shook her head and looked harder at him. Something was different about him. Glancing at his forehead, she noticed a small, lightning bolt shaped scar.   
  
"Alex, what happened?" she asked, placing a hand over the red mark. It was hot, and she drew her hand away quickly. His smile shrunk a little, but he still looked into her eyes.  
  
"Nothing," he said, then pushed her to the side. She hit a wall by the door lightly, and turned to face him, but he had gone inside. Poking her head around the doorframe, she saw a light in the middle of the room, with Alex standing in it. She slinked in, staying out of the light.  
  
"You have come, my Child of Time, protector of the past, defender of the future. You know what you must do," a woman dressed all in white said suddenly, stepping into the light. Alex nodded, and kissed the woman's out streached hand. Then Pernia placed her hand over her mouth.  
  
A man with large dragon wings stepped into the light now, beside the woman. Alex looked at him and fell to the floor in a heap. Running out from her hiding place, Pernia went to Alex, lacing her hand on his shoulder. Looking up, the man stood over her, and then everything went black.   
  
As her eyes flew open, Pernia felt at her head. It was burning up, and she quickly took her hand away. Jumping out of bed, she felt for a light. When she got one on, she ran to the mirror and peered in. She shut her eyes, feeling tears wheling up. There was a lighting bolt scar on her forehead.  
  
*~*  
  
"Alex, we need to talk," she said, flinging the boy's dormitory door open. They all blinked their eyes and looked at her, some of them pulling their blankets up around them in shock. She scanned the room for Alex, but didn't see him. She did see an empty bed however. "Who's is that?" she asked, pointing.  
  
"Alex's. He seemes to have left, but this is still here," Ferlin Ethron said, holding out a necklace with a stone carving . She nodded her head and took it, closeing the door behind her, feeling her head again. The scar was still there. Running down the stairs and into the common room, she sank into one of the chairs, her face on fire. He wasn't anywhere, and he wouldn't have gone down to breakfast with out her, but just to be sure, she jumped up and ran the whole way to the Great Hall.  
  
It was dotted with just a few people here and there, none with curly brown hair though. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned around, running into someone. She was flung to the tield floor.   
  
"Here, let me help you," a voice said. She opened her eyes to see Professor Malfoy standing there, a worried look on his face. As his eyes traveled up her forehead, he gasped. He had seen the scar. "Child, what happened?"  
  
"I… I don't know…" she said, taking his out streached hand and pulling herself up. He put his arm around her and started walking her out of the Hall, and up a flight of stairs. They walked for some time, Pernia looking around her confused. Where were they? Then it dawned on her.  
  
As they walked through the door to the Head Office, Pernia saw Hermione sitting at her desk, leafing through a booklet. She looked up at them and smiled, but seeing the look on Malfoy's face, she jumped up and went to Pernia.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked in a hushed whisper. He let his eyes fall onto the scar, and Hermione's followed. She gasped, laying her hand over her mouth. Reaching blindly behind her, she felt for her chair, and then sat down, all the while not taking her eyes off of Pernia.   
  
"She was in the Great Hall, and I ran into her," Malfoy said, sitting himself down. Pernia realized that she was the only one standing, and quickly found a seat.  
  
"How did it happen?" Hermione asked. Pernia closed her eyes, ignoring the pain in her head. The necklace, which she had slipped around her neck, hung there heavily, as if it were a burden on her heart.  
  
"He ahd been acting oddly, and we talked last night. He asked me how I would feel if he left. Then I had a dream. Oh, it was awful! I was in a dark field, and there was a big tower. As I walked toward it, this big thing flew overhead. It was almost as big as a dragon that dad would bring home. It landed on top of the tower, and when I reached the door, Alex was behind me. He had a scar like this on his forehead too, and he pushed me away and walked through the door. I followed, and saw a large room with Alex in a pillar of light with a lady who called him the Child of Time. Then a big man with Dragon wings came and Alex fell. I rushed out, and looked up at the man, then blacked out. I woke up, and it was there. And he's gone! Alex is gone!" she said quickly, barely stopping to catch her breath. Both the teachers were looking at her, and she sighed. She had neglected to tell them about the necklace, but she didn't think it was all that important.  
  
"I see. Dreams never lie, I can tell you this. I think he has gone to find this tower, if he had the same dream. I think he has though," Hermione said, searching through a stack of papers on her clutered desk.   
  
"What was this about a Child of Time?" Malfoy asked suddenly, making Hermione jump.  
  
"Well, that's what the woman in white called him. He seemed to understand," Pernia said. The three of them were silent for some time, until a suddenly shrill noise erupted. Pernia clasped her hands over her ears, and the others did the same. Hermione turned and looked out the window behind her, the stood up and motioned for the others to do the same.  
  
"Come with me," she shouted, barely audiable over the sound. Malfoy nodded and put a hand on Pernia's shoulder, making her move foreword.  
  
The walk seemed to take forever with the echoing noise seeming to grow louder with every step, but as Pernia, Hermione and Draco made their way to the grounds, the Headmistress kept her head high. Students and teachers poked thier heads out of doorways to find the sorce of the ear-splitting noise, and Hermione whispered something into their ears and they moved on.   
  
The grounds were empty except for a cloaked figure standing in the quiddich field in the distance. Hermione motioned for them to walk that way, and the noise stopped. An audible sigh came from Draco's lips and they moved on to the man with his back to them.   
  
As they drew nearer, the man turned to them suddenly. Pernia gasped and fell to the grass when she saw his face. It was the man from her dream, except for the wings. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he saw her laying on the ground.   
  
"You! Where is he?" he shouted, pointing a long, twisted finger at her. Pernia shivered as his eyes bore through her and Draco stepped in front of her, blocking his view.   
  
"I am Headmistress here, and I would like to know what the cause for this is sir," Hermione said. The man whipped his head to face her, a sneer on his face.   
  
"That child has hidden what I came to take. You shall all pay!" he said and turned around. Pernia screamed as a pair of large wings sprouted from his back. Taking off, a small object fell from his pocket, unknown to him. The three people on the ground stood there for awhile, not sure what to do. 


	5. Chapter 5

After a few minutes of standing in the cool, damp air of the grounds. Hermione nervosly made her way foreword, scanning the ground for the item she had seen fall to the grass. Pernia stood on her toes to get a better look, but Malfoy just stood there, slightly shivering from the wind.   
  
"AH!" Hermione said, bending over and picking something up. The other two ran over to her and she opened her closed hand, exposing a small, stone object in the shape of a moon. It reminded Pernia of something she had seen before, but it completely missed her at the moment. Hermione turned the figure over to reveal the inscription: Forgotten Tears of age old pass, Come the children of time to thee.   
  
Hermione's eye brightened up after reading it and bent over, whispering something in Malfoy's ear. He nodded slowly, as if thinking hard. Then she started walking back to the castle with Malfoy at her side, so Pernia scrambled up to meet them, wishing she knew what they had said.   
  
They walked for quite awhile through the castle, until they reached the library. It was a large room, the shelves stacked full of books. The witch behind the desk, Madam Theo, smiled at the Headmistress and stood up. Hermione waved her hand at her and returned the smile, walking toward the very back of the room. The Forbidden Section was back here and Pernia shivered slightly at the idea of being in here. The books on these shelves were thicker than the others and to Pernia's eye, one or two of them even moved on their own.   
  
Malfoy and Hermione went to opposite ends of the shelves, each searching for a book. They passed by many of them, barely looking at the cover before moving on. Pernia had no idea what to do, so she sat at a table, watching the two of them looking. It seemed to take forever and Pernia's head had even drooped off in a sleepy manner before she heard a squeal of excitement from Hermione. She was holding a dust covered book with a jet black cover, ripped in places.   
  
"Pernia, come here," she said, motioning to her. Pernia slinked over to them, keeping her eyes on the book the whole time. Malfoy drew his hand over the book and shivered slightly, though there were no cool drafts here. Hermione open the book to the index page and scanned her eyes down, looking for one certain thing that Pernia still was clueless about. She seemed to find it, tapped her finger against the book, and flipped through the pages.   
  
The book lay before them, it's pages ripped and stained with things Pernia had no need, or for that matter want, to know. Hermione nodded at them and pointed to the title at the top of the page. It read; Forgotten Tears. Pernia looked at Hermione, seeing if it was alright for her to read it. The Headmistress nodded and Pernia turned the book to face her.   
  
The Sun Tear and the Moon Tear are two anciant relics used in two different ways. The Sun Tear has the power to shape the very pattern of time, at the users will. The Moon stone has great healing power and great destructive power both. They are a very valuable pair, being as there were only one of each carved out of the stone of a volcano. It is destioned that the Child of Time will be born one day and weild the two Tears, dubbed the Forgotten Tears after being lost for centurys.  
  
Pernia read the page three or four times then looked over at the moon carving on the table. Hermione turned the book to Malfoy, who read over it quickly and then sighed. The three of them looked at the carving on the table until Hermione slammed the book closed, making Pernia and the Potions Master jump.   
  
"So Alex is the Child of Time. This is the Moon Tear and the Sun Tear is out there somewhere. Now all we have to do is find it and Alex," Malfoy said slowly. Pernia nodded and felt something heavy in her pocket and took it out, afraid to look at it. Just feeling it with her fingers, she could barely make out the outline of a sun. She opened her eyes to see Hermione and Malfoy looking at her with their eyes opened wide. She turned the necklace over and found the same inscription on the back, then lay it down on the table by the Moon Tear. They seemed to have a glow all their own.   
  
"May I bother to ask where you found that?" Hermione asked. Pernia recalled the days happenings so far in her mind, remembered her dream from that night. How real it was. Alex. She missed him a lot. The figure with the wings. And she felt her forehead. The scar was still there, burning hot. She sighed.   
  
"Alex left it behind in his room this morning. His dorm mates gave it to me. As if he wanted me to have it," she said. Hermione nodded knowingly, then clapped her hands together. Malfoy shot her a nasty look as he jumped again, but she paid no heed. All of a sudden, Pernia felt sleepy all over her body. Everything was so tierd that she just wanted to collapse. Just wanted to... As Pernia slumped to the floor, Hermione looked at the two figures on the table and picked them up, slipping them into her pocket. Malfoy picked the little girl up and the three of them left.   
  
*~*  
  
"Hermione."   
  
A faint whisper.   
  
"Hermione. Please answer."   
  
Opening her eyes, Hermione saw Harry standing next to her, his black hair ruffled and his face pale. His green eyes were sad looking, as if he was hurt deeply in some way. She looked up at his forehead and found that it had no scar on it, which made her think of Pernia even harder.   
  
"Hermione, I have to tell you something."   
  
She looked right into his eyes, his cold, green eyes that used to be filled with pride, with joy, with... life. Now they were dead and cold. Like hard ice.   
  
"Alex has gone away to the Tower of Nal'kina, the Palace of Time. You must find him, rescue him from the dragon man."   
  
Harry's voice was growing weaker by the minute and Hermione had to strain to hear him clearly. Her mind raced with thoughts of books, wither she had heard of this tower. She would have to look it up, but right now she filed it away in her mind. Harry was fading, his image almost gone.   
  
"Ron says that he loves you and for you to fight the pain and hardship. Remember..."   
  
He was gone   
  
"Remember what Harry?" she called out softly. The room was growing lighter, as if the sun was rising. She shielded her eyes, looking around the room for a glimpse of her friend. Her dead friend. The pain of everything sunk into her now and she started to cry. She cried until she had no more tears left in her. And the room was filled with a bright, white light.  
  
*~*  
  
"Hermione. Hermione Granger, are you with us yet?" a voice called out to her. Opening her eyes slightly, she saw Draco sitting on the edge of her bed, eating an apple. His head was tilted to one side, staring at her and his mouth had little flecks of apple in the corners.   
  
"Wha?? How did I get here?" she asked, sitting up in bed. Seh looked down and saw that she was in her nightgown. Draco had a grin on his face, but the apple flecks ruined the evil effect. Instead she started to laugh.   
  
"After we brought Pernia to the Hospital wing last night, you black out on the stairs. I took the liberty of bringing you up here and tucking you in. And what are you laughing at?" he asked. She leaned foreword and brushed the apple from his lips with her fingers and he kissed them softly. Hermione drew them back and glared at him.   
  
"I still haven't gotten over that morning, so don't try anything unless you want to lose your very job. How is Pernia?" she asked. Draco got a pouty look on his face, but she shook her head and he sighed, getting up off the bed.   
  
"She's fine. Resting still, but fine. She just had a severe sleep attack last night and I think you did too," he said. She nodded and grabbed the chore ball off of the nightstand next to the bed. He watched it in her hands, but she ignored him. Pressing one of the buttons, she found herself fully dressed, but her hair still a mess. A press of another button fixed that.   
  
"Well, the day won't get done by laying around in bed. Don't you have classes?" she said, standing up. Her foot slipped on something and she fell backwards slightly, but caught herself. Glancing up at Draco, Hermione could see that he was trying hard not to laugh.   
  
"It's a Saturday," he said, then grabbed her arm to steady her. She smiled weakly at him and started walking, if a little shaky. She must be more tierd then she first thought. But it was her duty to get up and duty always came first with her.  
  
The hospital wing was quiet when Draco and Hermione walked in, being that there was only one person in there beside Pernia. And that was Madam Lenet. She had taken over Madam Pompfrey's job after she quit in Hermione's sixth year. She was one of the few teachers that had lived through the attack.   
  
"Hello Jane," Hermione whispered, walking up to the elderly witch. She was knitting something and didn't look up from the needles, but nodded her head to show that she heard her. Hermione looked over at Draco and scowled. He was glaring at the nurse, but stopped soon after Hermione saw him. He had disliked her ever since a time when he was sassing back to her after a quiddich match and had to drink Castor Oil.   
  
The two of them pulled chairs up to Pernia's bed and watched her, her body slowly moving up and down with each breath. Her head moved to the side and she smiled, but Hermione knew she was still asleep. Draco had a problem with that however and shook her lightly on the arm, making Hermione glare at him again.   
  
"Who's there," the first year asked, opening her eyes and looking at them. When she saw Hermione and Draco sitting there, she sat up and pulled the covers right up to her eyes. "Have you found him yet?"   
  
"No dear, we haven't," Draco said. Hermione bit at her lip and put her hand into the pocket of her robes. It brushed up against two stone objects and she pulled them out, holding them in the palm of her hand. They were beautifuly made and she bent her head in for a closer look.   
  
The stone was something that she had never seen before. It was a light black, with little red flecks in places. Each one also had a light green jewel placed on one side and she slid her fingers over each of them. Suddenly, there was a popping noise and the two figures came together.   
  
Now that they were one figure instead of two, an image came out of the tip of the creasent moon. It was a a tower, black as the rock the figures were made of. Pernia squealed.   
  
"That's the tower from my dream," she said quietly. Hermione turned around to look at the nurse which, but seeing that she still hadn't looked up, turned back to the tower. As soon as she did, it started getting farther away, with trees and things in the foreground. This went on for a few moments, until the tower was no longer in sight. The next building to come up was the castle they were sitting in now.   
  
"It's a map," Draco said, his eyes fixed on the image. As suddenly as they had come together, the figures snapped apart, falling to the bed with a muffled sound.   
  
"The Palace of Time, the Tower Nal'kina," Hermione said under her breath. Draco looked up at her and opened his mouth as if to speak, but thought better of it and just looked at the figures on the bed. Pernia reached out and touched the moon, pulling her fingers back quickly.   
  
"It's ice cold," she said. A sudden noise from behind them made the three of them turn around and look at the nurse which. She had fallen asleep, her knitting falling to the floor and was emiting a loud snore. Pernia giggled and touched the sun figure, but drew her hand from that too. "That one's hot."   
  
"SO now what do we do?" Draco asked, sitting back in his chair. Hermione shrugged and leaned in close to the figures, and lay a finger on them. They were the same temperature as before.   
  
"Pernia, touch them again," she said. The first year did so and pulled her hand away in the same fashion as before. Hermione touched it again to find that they were neither hot or cold. She picked them up and slipped them into her pocket.   
  
"I think you can leave the hospital," Draco said, turning to Pernia. She nodded and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. She bent down to tie her shoes on, but stopped and looked at Malfoy.   
  
"Are you going to find him?" she asked. Hermione looked over at Malfoy too, a smug smile on her face. He looked betwwen them both and sighed.   
  
"Of course," he said, then got up and left the room. Hermione smiled as Pernia finish tying her shoes and jumped up. They left together, with one thought flowing through her mind.   
  
Has Draco finaly changed? 


	6. Chapter 6

"No," Draco said, throwing some bottles into his bag. Hermione wrinkled her nose up as the sound of glass breaking came from within the traveling bag and soon after, a thin purple gas started to leak out. It smelt of Pepperflowers, something she recently discovered was an alergy.   
  
"But I wanna come!" she said again, croassing her hands over her chest. He looked at her again and seemed to open his mouth to say that she could come, but shook his head and continued to put bottles in, more carefully then before.   
  
"It will be too dangerous for you," he said, then froze at what he just said. She stood up and walked over to him, fire in her eyes. Too dangerous?!?   
  
"I will have you know that I'm going. And that is final Mr. Malfoy," she said, then turned and stormed out of his private living quarters. He watched her leave, then turned his attention back to backing, muttering under his breath about 'slips of the tounge'.  
  
"There is no way young lady," Hermione said, staring at the girl sitting in front of her. Pernia glared at her from her seat in front of the desk and let out a sigh. She wanted to help find Alex, but the Headmistress wouldn't let her.   
  
"But I wanna help! I'm fully able to take care of my self," she pleaded hoping to change Hermione's mind. It almost looked like it would work for a second, but then a smile crosed her lips and she shook her head.   
  
"I'm already in enough trouble with the Ministry without two of my students leaving school. They still haven't caught wind of Alex being gone, but when they do, my hide will be theirs. I don't want you hurt!" she replied, standing up out of her chair. Pernia's mouth dipped into a frown while she thought about what Hermione had just said.   
  
"But..." she started, but was interupted by a book being slammed onto the desk. Hermione held a frown on her face and Pernia decided not to push it farther. Unless...   
  
Standing up, she smiled at the Headmistress and bowed her head slightly, then turned to leave. Hermione's mouth opened slightly when this happened, but she let the girl go, moving onto her room to pack her things.  
  
*~*  
  
As they left the castle, Hermione looked back and sighed, shifting the bag on her back. Draco, grabbed her hand, a smile on her face and she weakly returned it. She had almost given in to letting Pernia go, but had kept a stiff upper lip until now. She had thoughts of running back to the castle and getting her, but she held her grond.   
  
"Pernia is meeting us in Hogsmeade after she finishes packing," Draco said suddenly, making Hermione look at him.   
  
"You told her she could come? Draco... I told her she couldn't for a reason," she sighed. He grinned at her and she couldn't help but smile back at him. Humming the song that Harry had first sund to her long ago, they walked down the path to the small town.   
  
Hermione had wanted to appereate to the Tower, but Draco wouldn't hear of it. Too many dangers. She still wished that he would have given in. But it was alright weather, so they kept on. She just hoped it stayed alright.  
  
*~*  
As they sat in the Three Broomsticks, one of them on each side of the booth, Draco merrily called for a mug of ale. Hermione just shook her head when the waitress came and asked for a water. Perferably sparkling.   
  
"You could live life 'Mione," Draco said, turning to face her. She shruged and twirled a lock of hair around her finger, watching the bar. A few orcs sat in the corner, pointing at things on a very large menu given to them by a terifyed looking waiter. Some hags were up on bar stools, happily chatting away with bartender. But no sign of Pernia yet.   
  
"You know, I don't think it was..." she started, but stopped as the door to the bar swung open. The whole of the bar turned to face the door, and as she did, Hermione almost spit out the water she had just been given.   
  
Pernia stood there, her face dirty and her hair a mess. There were tear stains running down her face, her large eyes searching the bar. When they rested on Hermione, she ran over to them, the whole bar watching her.   
  
"We... have to get... out of here. The dragon... man was just at... the school. Looking for me. He... wants the tears. I exscaped through one... of the tunnels," she panted out, slumping into the booth next to Malfoy, gulping down the water Hermione offered her. The adults exchanged glances before both of them standing up, Malfoy holding Pernia in his arms despite her arguements.   
  
"Hold still," he hissed to her, and she did after a few minutes. The bar had gone back to it's normal state as they rushed out the door, off toward the mountains. As they ran, Hermione looked back up the hill at the school. She caught the faintest glimpse of a figure flying off. Then her eyes caught the look of heavy smoke starting to rise and she couldn't look anymore. She just ran, and prayed that things would be all right.  
  
*~*  
After running for most of the day, and a good portion of the night, Hermione decided that they had better stop and get some rest. Draco nodded, Pernia replied by letting out a soft snore. She had been asleep for quite some time in his arms.   
  
They were deep in the mountains by now, and they chose a fairly large cave to sleep in. While Malfoy went out to get some wood for a fire, Hermione gathered a little straw to make beds. Pernia lay on the floor, half asleep, listening to Hermione humm a song as she worked.   
  
"Headmistress, do you think Alex is alright?" Pernia asked. Hermione spun around, startled to hear a voice from the girl she thought was asleep. Laying down the grasses, she walked over to Pernia and put her head in her lap.   
  
"Yes. I'm sure he made his way there. And I'm sure he is wishing you were there right now," Hermione whispered, running her fingers through the girls long, red hair. After a few minutes, Pernia started to lightly snore again, and Hermione lay her back down, getting back to work.   
  
"It's starting to storm. Pretty bad, too," Malfoy said, coming back to camp. His arms were loaded with sticks and logs and a quick spell set it ablaze quickly. The two of them sat there, watching the flames dance over the wood, until Hermione broke the silence.   
  
"How do you think Alex is. Pernia sounded worried about him while you were gone," she said, laying her head on his shoulder. He didn't say anything, jsut kept his attention on the fire. When he spoke, she felt like crying.   
  
"She loves him Hermione. And I love you. If you were gone, I wouldn't know what to do," he said. She felt tears building in her eyes, but didn't do anything when she felt them run down her face and onto the dirt floor. He noticed however.   
  
Taking her head in his hands, he kissed her. When he pulled away, his eyes were glistening, like he was going to cry too. Hermione knew that she was safe with him, but a fear still rested in her heart. But there was nothing she could do at the moment, so she rested her head back on his shoulder.   
  
It was awhile before either of them fell asleep that night.  
  
When she awoke in the morning, Hermione was pleased to see that Pernia was up and about, adding more wood to the fire. She smiled at Hermione, then nodded her head to Draco, who was slumpped into a pile in the corner, his thumb in his mouth. Laughing, Hermione got up and walked to the edge of the cave.   
  
It was a bright and sunny morning, the trees around the cave dripping with the last remains of last night's storm. The mountains were a wonderful sight and Hermione wished she could sit there forever and gaze at them, but she knew they had to be going before the Dragon Man found them.   
  
Walking over to the pile that was Draco Malfoy, she got onto her knees and kissed his forehead lightly. His eyes sprung open and he looked up at her, a smile on his face.   
  
"Come on. We have to be going," she said, then got to her feet and walked over to Pernia. The girl was now sweeping the floor with the bough of a pine tree, her red hair pulled into a braid which swung as she went along.   
  
Pulling the Tears out of her pocket, Hermione put them together, holding them firmly. The map appered, showing not Hogwarts at the begginging, but the cave. It paused there before rushing on, past the mountains and over some woods before the tower came into veiw. They were close.   
  
"Are we all ready?" Draco asked from behind her. Turning to face him, she laughed to herself as he stretched out his arms, his eyes squeezed shut. When he opened them, they shone a bright purple. She loved his eyes.  
  
*~* 


	7. Chapter 7

"Are we there yet? All these trees look the same," Pernia whined, shuffling her feet along the path. Malfoy shot her a look that whiped the glumness off her face, but she continued to make pouting noise every few minutes.   
  
Hermione on the other hand was wondering the same thing. Though her spells told her that they were still going the right way, she could swear that she had pased that boulder before. With another 'Point Me' spell, they continued walking.   
  
"We should be close. Once we are out of the woods, we should be able to see the tower," she sighed. Pernia perked up at this, but lowered her head again after about five minutes.   
  
"Are we there yet?" Draco whispered into Hermione's ear. She turned to look at him, her face expressionless.   
  
"Don't you start too. I wouldn't be able to..." she said, but stopped as she looked up from the path. The edge of the woods. A tower was barely visible, it's blackness shining in the mid day sun. She let out a giggle, pointing at it. Pernia, who looked very worn out, jumped foreword a foot when she saw it. Racing ahead of Hermione and Draco, she stepped into the sun.   
  
"Very good Headmistress," Draco said, putting his arm around her. She grinned and shut her eyes, letting his body guide her. It was cool out here in the shade of the trees, but once they got into the sun...   
  
A sudden scream broke the silence of Hermione's shut eyes. Opening them, she caught a glimpse of Pernia's leg as she was lifted from the ground. Running up ahead, Draco right behind her, Hermione looked up in horror to see that the red haired girl was in the hands of the Dragon Man.   
  
They were headed to the tower.  
  
*~*  
  
Pain.   
  
Blinking her eyes open, Pernia slowly looked around her. She was in a darkly lit room, laying in the middle as far as she could tell. This place seemed familer in a way, as if from a dream.   
  
The tower.   
  
Trying to move her arms, she let out a cry of greif when she felt metal chains dig into her skin. She wriggled her body, but stopped when the amount of pain that caused fully registered in her mind.   
  
"So you are awake," a voice from the shadows said. Straning her eyes to see, Pernia gasped as the woman in white stepped out from behind a pillar. SHe was even more stunning then she remembered her. Then was a frown on her face as she walked to Pernia and lay a hand on her head. "I'm sorry child. For the Destined One to come to power, he must take a life."   
  
Pernia heard a scream excape her lips as a bag of silk was placed over her head. Thoughts raced through her mind as she lay there in complete darkness, listening to the woman walk away. She only had to wait for two things. Rescue by Hermione and Draco or for Alex to arive at the tower.   
  
Just wait. And pray.  
  
*~*  
  
As they raced foreword, the sun shining in their eyes, Hermione wished that Draco wasn't so darn fast. His many years as quiddich seeker had gotten him quite in shape, and he was just darting in ahead of her. Stopping, she called out to him.   
  
"Here... Go on to the tower. I'll catch up. Take the Tears," she yelled, throwing them at him. He caught them with one hand and continued on his way as she slumped to the ground, panting hevily.   
  
*~*   
  
As he neared the tower door, Draco slowed a bit to catch his breath. He hadn't run like that in years! He didn't know where he had found the strength!   
  
But now, standing in front of the door, it towering over his head, he felt small. Scared. Alone. A noise behind him caught his attention, and as he turned, he caught a gasp in his throat.   
  
Alex stood there,his eyes looking at his Potion's teacher with no emotion at all. Draco took a step toward him, but Alex pushed him away, off to the side, and went into the building. Draco stood there for a minute, not beliveing that the shy, scared little child he had known Alex to be, had just pushed him.   
  
But he had to get to Pernia. Shaking his head, he grabbed the large handle to the door and pulled it open. As he peered inside, all he saw was darkness. Then his eyes fell on a figure in the middle.   
  
Pernia.  
  
Taking a step foreword into the darkness, Draco was about to run to Pernia. But seeing a figure step out into the light made him stop dead in his tracks. Alex stood there, a long blade in hand, removing the bag from her head.   
  
He stood there, looking down at her face for a few minutes, then got onto his knees, laying the dagger on the ground beside him. As far as Draco could see from where he was standing, her eyes were closed, the faint scar on her forehead standing out against her red hair. Alex seemed to have seen it too.   
  
*~*   
  
The scar. Staring down at her face, he ran a finger over his own forehead. For the first time, he noticed that it wasn't hot to the touch. His was gone. She had gotten it from him.   
  
"You know what you must do," a voice behind him said. He turned and saw the woman, all dressed in white. He got to his feet and walked over to her, kissing her hand.   
  
"Mother," he whispered, getting onto one knee. She smiled down at him, then brought her attention to Pernia.   
  
"Kill the girl so you get your full strength. You must hurry," she said. Alex nodded and walked back to Pernia, stooping down to pick up the blade. He raised it over her head, watching her chest move in and out with each breath that she took.   
  
Her eyes opened, and she looked at him, her face not moving for a moment, then she squeezed her eyes shut. It pained him to see that.   
  
"Mother, I love you," he said, then turned and sunk the blade into her chest. She made no sound, not motion to stop him, just sunk to her knees on the ground, her white cloak dripping with fresh blood.   
  
*~*   
  
Draco stood there, stunned, as Alex walked over to Pernia and un did the chains on her wrists.  
  
"Alex," Draco said, walking up to the boy. Alex looked at him and smiled, finishing with the last of the chains on Pernia's arm. When he was done, she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Coughing, Draco spoke again. "Here, you may want these."   
  
Handing Alex the Tears, Draco watched as his eyes sparkled, glinting a hazy silver. Then he looked at Pernia and gave her a kiss on the cheek.   
  
"You got it. I thought you would," he said, slipping the two stones into one of his pocket. Pernia, who had been looking at the door, ran over to a figure standing there, holding onto her arm. Hermione was there, still panting from aparently running.   
  
"Dear, we have to get you to run when we get back," Draco chuckled. Hermione shot him a grin, then looked around at the darkness. Her eyes traveled all along the walls, then to the woman hunched over on the floor, a pool of blood dripping down her side.   
  
"So you have full strength now boy," a voice called out from above them. As the four of them tilted their heads up, they saw the dragon man hovering in mid air. Pernia burried her head in Hermione's robes.   
  
"Enough to fight you Tal'Shenli. Pernia, go with the HEadmistress and Potion's teacher. Don't wait for me," he said, giving her a pat on the back. She brought her head out and looked at him, then nodded her head. The three of them left, leaving Alex standing there in the circle of light with the dragon man above.  
  
"Was it wise to leave him there alone?" Hermione asked, running along the path away from the tower. Draco grabbed her hand, pulling her along faster. Pernia was running with her head bent to look behind her, and almost ran into the two of them.   
  
"He seemed to want to do it," Draco sighed. He had a grim smile on his face as then continued on their way, running in silence until Pernia let out a small squeek. Hermione and Malfoy turned around, mouths open wide.   
  
Where the tower had stood moments before was now a beam of brilliant white light. It streached from the ground all the way up to the heavens. It seemed to move and dance around slowly, never leaving the ground.   
  
As the three of them watched it, a sudden burst of red shot from the middle of it, streaching out back toward the castle. Then a beam of blue shot the opposite way. A green beam came out the right, then a black to the left.   
  
"North, South, East, West," Hermione muttered under her breath, un able to take her eyes away from the middle beam of light. Pernia had sunk to the ground, apperently praying, and Draco stood there motionless.   
  
A loud crackling noise seemed to come, sounding far away at first, but getting louder. Hermione and Malfoy put their hands to thier ears, but Pernia made no move to do the same.   
  
Then the noise stopped. Looking at each other cautiosly, they removed thier hands, placing them back at their sides. All was silent around them, nothing moved at all.   
  
As they stood there, Hermione held her breath. Was Alex all right? What was going on. The middle beam seemed to be getting larger by the minute and she watched for any sign at all.   
  
All at once, the beams of light faded and there was a sudden, loud noise as the middle beam of light shattered. Hermione sunk to the ground, and she could hear herself screaming, could hear a sound coming from Draco, but nothing else. Pernia quivvered and wrapped her head in her arms, rolling into a ball.   
  
Time stood still.   
  
After a moment, Hermione opened her eyes and looked around her. When had she closed them? Where was she? Why were they all on the ground? Then her memory came flooding back to her. She reached out to lay a hand on Pernia's back to try and comfort her, but only touched air. Looking up, she saw that the little girl was already running along the path, back to the rubble that had once been a tower.   
  
Lightly kicking Draco in the leg, Hermione started running a head, trying to reach the girl. There was no way that Alex had lived through that. Hermione could hear Draco comeing, could hear his steady breath, but she didn't care. She only watched Pernia run, the braid her hair was in swinging back and forth.   
  
As she ran on, Hermione started to cry. Cry for everyone who had ever died. She knew the pain that must be running through Pernia's mind right now. Have to check if he is alright. She herself had done the same when Voldemort had attacked.   
  
She cried harder for the memory of her friends, for the many lives lost on that day. She hadn't known some of the people, but she still wept for them. It wasn't fair that they died like they did. It wasn't fair. If only she could change it.   
  
Coming to a stop behind PErnia, Hermione felt herself cry harder. There, laying on the pedistal in the middle of the rubble, was Alex, his body curled into a ball. Pernia stepped over a large block of stone toward him, but Hermione lay a hand on her shoulder.   
  
"Pernia," she whispered, but the little girl just shook her head and loosened Hermione's grip. She ran foreward, darting around objects scattered on the floor until she reached Alex. Getting onto her knees, she bent her head over him and cried.   
  
Hermione felt a hand on her own shoulder and turned to see Draco standing there, his face having no emotion. She knew that her eyes were clouding up again and she burried her head in his shirt, felt his hands pull her in closer. His warm, comforting hands.   
  
They stood there embracing for a while, the sound of Pernia's sobs mixing in with HErmione's, until Draco lifted her head up and looked into her eyes. His purple eyes glittered and she squeezed her own shut. Purple.   
  
She saw scenes from that day in her seventh year. She had been in the Prefect girls bathroom when she first heard the shouting. It had been purple. She had grabbed her things and run down the corridor's, running past people who were going too slow.   
  
What is wrong? She had asked herself on the way down, seeing the shocked looks on peoples faces. When she reached the Great Hall, she could still remember gasping when she saw them standing there. Ron, Harry, Dumbledore. Voldemort.   
  
A sound behind her made Hermione turn her head. Pernia still had her head layed on Alex's chest. But something else was different.   
  
Alex had just sneezed.  
  
Walking slowly up behind Pernia, HErmione could see that Alex's eyes were open, that he was looking around the room wide-eyed. Then he saw Pernia, her head on his chest, and he weakly lay a hand on her head.   
  
She shot her head up and looked at him, then only sobbed harder as he sat up, smiling at her. Hermione closed her eyes and listened to Pernia's sobs.   
  
"I'm alright Pernia. Don't cry," he coughed out slowly. She shook her head and whipped her eyes on the back of her sleeve.   
  
"No you aren't. I'm dreaming," she managed to get out. He laughed and took her head in his hands, kissing her on the forehead. Then he got to his feet and walked over to Hermione and Draco, who was now standing beside her.   
  
"Thank you both very much. You saved my life. I owe you my life. It shall be repayed," he said, then dug through his pocket. He pulled out the Moon Tear, broken into two pieces, and threw them to the floor. Then he brought out the Sun Tear and held it in his hands.   
  
It started glowing a bright orange, then turned to yellow. Then the beam turned white. Alex smiled at her and moved his hand through the beam, turning it black.  
  
Looking into the beam, Hermione saw herself standing there, in the same spot. Draco was at her side, Pernia on the floor. Alex was no where to be seen. Then the beam started giving out images, going through her life. There they were, traveling here. Then talking to Malfoy in the dungon. It was playing back her life.   
  
She watched the images flick past, all the way to the scene of Ron and Harry standing with Dumbledore, facing Voldemort. The beam froze and she looked up at Draco. He was staring at it as hard as she was.   
  
"I just saw my life up to that day in our seventh year," he whispered to her and she nodded. Then she saw Alex sneeking up behind Voldemort and pulling away his wand. He turned, and Dumbledore shot him with a spell. The Dark Lord fell to the ground.   
  
Then the beam started giving out images that Hermione had never seen before. There was graduation day. Harry's wedding to Ginny. Her own wedding to Ron. The birth of her own son. Her job at the ministry. Then the beam froze.   
  
"This is my debt to you," Alex said. Pernia was standing next to him now, watching the beam. Watching her own life.  
  
"I love you," Hermione whispered to Draco, wrapping her arms around him. He nodded and smiled weakly. He had seen his own life over the past three years.   
  
Alex looked at them and smiled faintly, then turned to Pernia. He bent in to kiss her, but stopped as she jumped on him, kissing his nose. The two pairs of them stood like that for some time, until Alex coughed.   
  
He lowered his head and ran his head through the beam again. It turned a bright red, then purple. Then everything went black.   
  
*~*   
  
"Isn't he beautiful?" Ron said, bending over to pick up his son. Hermione smiled and went back to her knitting, being careful not to poke herself again.   
  
The little baby had Ron's red hair and Hermione's smarts. He was already talking at six months. But the eyes puzzled eyery one. They were a hazy silver, like a foggy day. His name was Alex.   
  
*~*   
  
Sighing, Pernia watched a fly walk across her book as she sat in potions class. Would the teacher never get there? Closing her eyes, she pictured herself running outside in the sun, feeling...   
  
"And is Miss Weasly daydreaming?" Draco Malfoy said, smacking his ruler against her table. He had replaced the old potion teacher, Professor Snape, last year as Pernia heard it. She almost wished that Snape was still here, because Malfoy seemed to hate her. But being in first year, she had no idea what to expect.   
  
*~*   
  
It was a cloudy day on the hilltop, the twigs of the nest moving in the slight wind. Three eggs sat in it, each one speckled purple. A tiny crack appered in one, then the whole thing fell apart. A man with large, dragon wings stepped out.   
  
*~*   
  
FIN Forgotten Tears! 


End file.
